“Sometimes, when I make acting choices, I have to really explain and make people in a room see me,” Karen says, “but when I’m with Isaac or Erika or Sandra, I don’t have to do that because they know where I’m coming from.” Karen agrees, saying it’s “the safest place” to create.

“Having an opportunity to work with fellow Latinx artists feels like a special kind of home experience.there is a kind of relief and familiarity in the room that is really wonderful to be apart of, “ director Sandra Marquez says. In the case of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, allowing Latinx cast members and creatives to craft the story only meant a better result for the stage. One meaningful way that Steppenwolf has improved diversity in their storytelling is by purposefully recruiting actors of different identities to their renowned ensemble. “What are different permutations of family, love, relationships, marriage, magic? When you, you can’t have a season of all white male playwrights and directors.” “We think about ‘what is America today?’ and ‘what does America feel like today?’” Hallie says. Hallie Gordon, the Artistic Director for Steppenwolf for Young Adults, explained the shift away from stories centering white protagonists as part of the theater’s obligation to tell stories that reflect today’s America.

The Steppenwolf production of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter proves why allowing people of color to create art around our own stories is critical it helps counter the plethora of stereotypes on our experiences.įurthermore, the decision to highlight a diverse array of performances has been intentional. As he put it, there’s a lack of representative stories in theater specifically for Mexican-Americans, despite “a lot of amazing material being written by a lot of incredible writers centering Mexican people, women or femmes, queer Mexicans.” However, Isaac was vehement about the importance of change: “ are so ready to see themselves beyond the stereotypes of what it means to be Mexican and a woman,” he says.

Often times in response to questions about more diversity, theaters cite the lack of interested audiences, associated risks, and other excuses. Karen’s words point to why it’s so important that people of color get to create and produce their own stories, especially in high-level theater, which has historically been dominated by white creators, actors, critics, and audiences.

Not your perfect mexican daughter